Cost of Studying in Serbia for International Students in 2026/27: Tuition, Living Costs and First-Year Budget

International students pay tuition in Serbia even at public universities. Serbian-taught programmes usually cost foreign citizens $1,705–3,410 (€1,500–3,000) a year: for 2026/27 the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law charges $2,802 (€2,465) and the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad $2,273 (€2,000). English-taught programmes and medicine cost more — English-taught medicine in Belgrade is $9,094 (€8,000) a year. Study in Serbia estimates living costs at $853–1,648 (€750–1,450) a month in Novi Sad, Niš and Kragujevac and $966–2,273 (€850–2,000) in Belgrade. Our calculation from these figures puts a first year with tuition, living costs and paperwork at roughly $13,000–37,000, depending on city, programme and lifestyle.

Below: fees by faculty, one-off costs, living expenses, four budget scenarios and how to pay. For the country overview see studying in Serbia; to compare budgets, see our cost guides for Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary.

Cost summary

Tuition at public universities

Fees are set by each faculty and published before the admission call. Under the Law on Higher Education, the annual fee (školarina) covers 60 ECTS and the regular services defined by the university. Foreign citizens almost always have a separate euro tariff paid in dinars at the exchange rate on the payment date.

Why do foreigners pay more than Serbian citizens? At the Belgrade Faculty of Law a fee-paying Serbian student pays $1,132 (117,000 dinars), a foreign citizen $2,802. On top of that, 2025 amendments to the law refund half the fee at public universities — but only to Serbian citizens.

Mind the length of study as well: bachelor's degrees take 3–4 years, integrated medicine and dentistry 6. Compare total cost, not year one.

English-taught programmes and medicine

Over six years of medicine the gap runs to tens of thousands of dollars, which is why a Serbian language year often pays for itself. See medicine in Serbia.

Private universities

Private universities usually charge everyone the same. For 2026/27 Singidunum set $2,387–2,728 (€2,100–2,400) per 60 ECTS on most Serbian-taught programmes, $3,410 (€3,000) for pharmacy and $4,433 (€3,900) for English-taught programmes, including current-semester textbooks. Check the programme's accreditation, including its language version, in NAT's guide — see universities in Serbia.

What the fee covers — and what it doesn't

The university's decision defines the regular services included; everything else follows the faculty's price list (cenovnik). Typical extras:

• application and entrance exam fees;
• enrolment fee — at Novi Sad FTN, $171 (€150) for foreigners on Serbian-taught and $256 (€225) on English-taught programmes;
• forms, the student record book (indeks), photos;
• services beyond the regular package, priced on the faculty website.

You don't always pay upfront. Novi Sad FTN splits the fee into two 50% instalments. Novi Sad's Faculty of Economics takes payment in dinars at the National Bank of Serbia middle rate on the day of payment, so the final amount in your currency moves with exchange rates.

One-off costs around admission

Living costs

Study in Serbia, the platform of the Tempus Foundation and the Ministry of Education, gives these benchmarks:

Don't budget for a dormitory as a fee-paying foreigner. Places in public dormitories across Serbia are allocated through the Ministry of Education's annual call, and for 2026/27 they go to state-funded students with Serbian citizenship or citizenship of a state in the region. A fee-paying student from Russia or Kazakhstan does not meet these conditions. Accommodation and meals are included in government scholarships.

First-year budget: four scenarios

StudyU calculation. One-off costs include the annual fee, known faculty charges, certificate recognition and residence fees; living costs cover 12 months at the Study in Serbia range. Flights, insurance, translations and rental deposits are excluded.

If you need a Serbian language year in Belgrade first, add another year of living costs and about $1,535 (€1,350) for two semesters of classes plus the exam.

The lower end of the Study in Serbia range reflects a shared flat, canteen meals and a transport pass; a central Belgrade flat of your own pushes the budget towards the top.

Ways to spend less

• Serbian-taught instead of English-taught. For medicine in Belgrade that is $2,842 rather than $9,094 a year.
• City. Study in Serbia puts living costs in Niš, Kragujevac and Novi Sad below Belgrade. Fees can be lower too — law costs foreigners $1,364 in Novi Sad versus $2,802 in Belgrade — but not always: economics is cheaper in Belgrade.
• Faculty, not brand. Fees within one university differ several-fold.
• Canteen and student transport pass. The largest monthly savings.
• Scholarships. Serbia funds students from certain countries through government programmes; see free education in Serbia.
• Part-time work. Study-based residence allows up to 16 hours a week — useful for day-to-day costs, not for tuition.

How to pay

Faculties quote fees in euros but receive them in dinars on their Serbian account, usually at the National Bank of Serbia rate on the payment date. Two legitimate routes:

1. A bank transfer from a bank that processes payments to Serbia, using the faculty's exact details and payment reference from the call or payment instructions.
2. A non-resident account at a Serbian bank. According to Welcome to Serbia, foreigners in their first year can open dinar and foreign-currency accounts as non-residents. The bank decides under its own policy, but may not refuse on grounds of nationality and must explain a refusal in writing on request.

Keep every receipt: the faculty asks for proof of payment at enrolment, and immigration authorities may ask for proof of student status.

Common budgeting mistakes

• Counting tuition only. In Belgrade a year of living costs more than the fee on most Serbian-taught programmes.
• Applying one faculty's fee to the whole university. At the University of Belgrade fees range from $682 to $4,092 a year.
• Counting on a dorm. For fee-paying foreigners it is the exception.
• Ignoring exchange rates. Fees are in euros, payments in dinars.
• Forgetting the full length of study. Six years of English-taught medicine in Belgrade at today's price exceed $54,000 in tuition alone.
• Planning to cover tuition with work. The limit is 16 hours a week.

FAQ

Sources

• University of Belgrade: 2025/26 tuition by programme — checked 25.09.2026
• University of Belgrade Faculty of Law: 2026/27 call — checked 25.09.2026
• University of Novi Sad: 2026/27 call (fees, charges, instalments) — checked 25.09.2026
• Singidunum University: 2026/27 fees — checked 25.09.2026
• Law on Higher Education, Article 71: tuition and the 50% refund for citizens — checked 24.09.2026
• Qualifications Agency: recognition of school documents and fee — checked 25.09.2026
• University of Belgrade: recognition of foreign degrees and fees — checked 25.09.2026
• Law on Republic Administrative Fees, tariff 37 (consolidated text) — checked 25.09.2026
• Centre for Serbian as a Foreign Language: fees — checked 25.09.2026
• Study in Serbia (Tempus Foundation): finance and living costs, accommodation — checked 25.09.2026
• Ministry of Education: 2026/27 student dormitory call, Belgrade Student Centre: call conditions — checked 28.09.2026
• 2026/27 fees: University of Belgrade Faculty of Economics, School of Electrical Engineering — checked 28.09.2026
• Welcome to Serbia: bank accounts for non-residents, students' right to work — checked 24.09.2026
• Exchange rates: ECB reference rate of 29.09.2026, €1 = $1.1355; for dinars, National Bank of Serbia middle rate of 29.09.2026, €1 = 117.5386 RSD

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.